Legendary luthier Jol Dantzig’s “Team Built” lineup comprises guitars handcrafted by a small group of artisans under his direction. One of these, the Tulsa Korina, is an exquisite instrument envisioned as a comfortable guitar for Tele and Strat lovers who want a little Les Paul muscle without sacrificing their rhythm sound.

Immediately noticeable is the Tulsa’s lightweight feel. Thanks to a chambered body, the Tulsa is incredibly comfortable for long stretches. In fact, the test guitar weighed in at under seven pounds.

Aesthetically, the Tulsa looks great with its nitro-based violin finish. The low-gloss lacquer is hand-rubbed in the French polish style to give the instrument a broken-in look and a warm, friendly feel. With its German-carved figured maple top over a figured korina body and neck, the Tulsa truly feels like a vintage guitar – without resorting to relic techniques. The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with abalone and pearl claw inlay at the 12th fret is very comfortable yet full-feeling.

Sonically, the Tulsa has a great range of tones way beyond what one would expect from a two-humbucker guitar. Equipped with a pair of matched Grail pickups and one Volume and one Tone control, the Tulsa is a real treat to play. At full output, it is a total rock and roll machine that pushed a brown ’61 Fender Deluxe into overdriven creaminess. Rolling off the volume and putting the toggle in the middle position produced Freddie King tones – clear with a nice bluesy bite. Pushing the volume back up and then backing off the tone conjured sounds ranging from mellow jazz to pure “woman” tones.

The Tulsa will step Gibson players into new tonal areas and still feel like an old friend. Fender players will appreciate the lightweight, V-shape neck carve, and added muscle.

This article originally appeared in VG May 2017 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.